Current Affairs Topics Archive
International Relations Economics Polity & Governance Environment & Ecology Science & Technology Internal Security Geography Social Issues Art & Culture Modern History

Karnataka High Court directs inclusion of left-out 55 sq. km reserve forest area to Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary

March 05, 2026 5 min read Environment & Ecology Polity & Governance GS2 GS3
On This Page ▼

What Happened

  • The Karnataka High Court directed the state government to issue a notification to include the left-out 55 sq km of Kappatagudda reserve forest into the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gadag district.
  • A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha found that the May 2019 notification declared only 244.15 sq km as sanctuary, while the Karnataka State Wildlife Board (KSWB) had unanimously resolved in January 2019 to declare the entire ~288 sq km (recorded as 300 sq km) as sanctuary.
  • Stone-crushing units near the sanctuary had challenged the 2019 notification, seeking to limit the sanctuary to only 178 sq km (the originally proposed area in 2017), claiming the expansion lacked National Board of Wildlife approval.
  • The court dismissed their petitions, finding the area reduction "ex facie arbitrary" and contrary to the Board resolution chaired by the Chief Minister.
  • The government could not produce any document explaining why the area was reduced from the KSWB-approved extent.
  • The court clarified that the government may subsequently alter boundaries following proper legal procedure if it finds exclusion necessary.

Static Topic Bridges

Wildlife Sanctuary: Declaration Procedure under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

A wildlife sanctuary is a protected area declared under Sections 18-26A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The declaration process involves multiple steps to balance conservation objectives with the rights of existing land users.

  • Section 18: State government notifies its intention to constitute an area as a sanctuary based on ecological, faunal, floral, or zoological significance
  • Sections 19-25: Settlement of rights — Collector publishes proclamation, invites claims within 60 days; rights are then acquired, allowed, or regulated
  • Section 26A: Final declaration — after all claims are disposed of, the state government issues a notification specifying the sanctuary limits and declaration date
  • For reserve forests: The state government can directly declare a reserve forest (or part) as a sanctuary under Section 26A without going through the claims process (Sections 19-25), since rights in reserve forests have already been settled
  • No alteration of sanctuary boundaries is permitted except on recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) — Section 26A(3)
  • State Wildlife Board (SWLB): Advisory body chaired by the Chief Minister; recommends sanctuary/national park proposals to the state government
  • National Board for Wildlife (NBWL): Chaired by the Prime Minister; approves any activity within or affecting sanctuaries and national parks

Connection to this news: The court found that the state government issued the sanctuary notification under Section 26A for an area smaller than what the KSWB had approved, without any documented justification — constituting an arbitrary departure from the Board's resolution.

Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary

Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Gadag district of northern Karnataka, spread across dry deciduous hills in Gadag, Mundargi, and Shirahatti taluks. It was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in May 2019.

  • Area: 244.15 sq km (as per the 2019 notification); court has directed expansion to include the remaining ~55 sq km of the reserve forest
  • Vegetation: Dry deciduous forests dominated by teak, Butea monosperma (flame of the forest), acacia scrub; about 400 medicinal plant species documented
  • Fauna: 18 confirmed mammal species including Indian wolf, striped hyena, jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, blackbuck, chinkara, four-horned antelope, wild boar
  • Birds: Over 180 documented species including Indian peafowl, crested serpent eagle, plum-headed parakeet
  • Ecological significance: Major catchment area for the Tungabhadra River; supports regional hydrology and water resources in semi-arid North Karnataka
  • State: Karnataka; District: Gadag
  • The sanctuary protects a unique Deccan Plateau dry deciduous ecosystem, distinct from the Western Ghats wet forests more commonly associated with Karnataka's protected areas

Connection to this news: The High Court's direction to include the full reserve forest area ensures that the sanctuary's ecological integrity is maintained, preventing fragmentation that could result from excluding pockets of reserve forest to benefit commercial interests.

Judicial Review of Environmental Decisions

Indian courts have played an active role in environmental protection through judicial review, interpreting Article 21 (Right to Life) to include the right to a clean and healthy environment, and Article 48A (Directive Principle requiring the state to protect forests, wildlife, and the environment).

  • Article 21: Right to Life includes the right to a clean environment (MC Mehta v. Union of India, 1987)
  • Article 48A: Directive Principle — state shall protect and improve the environment, safeguard forests and wildlife
  • Article 51A(g): Fundamental Duty of citizens to protect the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife
  • Landmark cases: T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India (1996, forests), MC Mehta v. Union of India (Ganga pollution), Centre for Environment Law v. Union of India (2013, Western Ghats)
  • The Supreme Court and High Courts can issue writs under Articles 32 and 226 to prevent arbitrary environmental decisions
  • Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been a key mechanism for environmental cases in India
  • In this case, though stone-crushing operators challenged the sanctuary notification, the court went further to find that the government had actually declared less area than its own board approved — a rare instance of the court directing expansion rather than just upholding or striking down a notification

Connection to this news: The Karnataka High Court's directive exemplifies judicial activism in environmental protection — not merely reviewing the challenged notification but proactively identifying the anomaly in reduced area and ordering the government to honour its own Wildlife Board's resolution.

Key Facts & Data

  • Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary: Gadag district, Karnataka; notified May 16, 2019
  • Current area: 244.15 sq km; court-directed addition: ~55 sq km of reserve forest
  • KSWB resolution: January 9, 2019 — approved entire ~288 sq km (initially recorded as 300 sq km)
  • Initially proposed in 2017: 178 sq km
  • Fauna: Indian wolf, striped hyena, blackbuck, chinkara, four-horned antelope; 180+ bird species
  • Flora: 400 medicinal plant species; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest
  • Ecological role: Catchment area for Tungabhadra River
  • WPA 1972: Sanctuary declared under Section 26A; boundary alteration requires NBWL recommendation
  • SWLB: Chaired by Chief Minister; NBWL: Chaired by Prime Minister